Experiment of the compression of air
Date
15 August 1673
Creator
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632 - 1723, Dutch) , Naturalist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p6
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 304mm
width (page): 201mm
width (page): 201mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Drawing in the left margin of the letter over the whole height of the paper.
Letter from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Henry Oldenburg.
In this case Leeuwenhoek has put a wider glass-pipe (GM) over the narrower one, and sealed it by having heated the glass. He left in the top (M) a little hole, as small as a hair, to test whether air would come out there if he was to push the water up by pushing K. To test whether water would come out, he has put a drop of water on the hole M. The water was not displaced, however hard he pushed K. He does not have an explanation.
Letter from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Henry Oldenburg.
In this case Leeuwenhoek has put a wider glass-pipe (GM) over the narrower one, and sealed it by having heated the glass. He left in the top (M) a little hole, as small as a hair, to test whether air would come out there if he was to push the water up by pushing K. To test whether water would come out, he has put a drop of water on the hole M. The water was not displaced, however hard he pushed K. He does not have an explanation.
Object history
For the English translation of Leeuwenhoek's letter, see A. Leeuwenhoek, 'Touching the compression of air', Phil. Trans. vol 9, no. 102 (1674), pp. 21-23, figs 1-2.
Related fellows
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632 - 1723, Dutch) , Naturalist
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
Associated place